Will the iPad Save the Magazine Industry?

With its sleek design and cool page-turning features, the iPad has been pegged as possibly saving journalism and publishing in one fell swoop. And by selling an estimated double of the predicted amount last weekend, the iPad seems well on its way.

Many magazines are eager to jump on the bandwagon, with Condé Nast titles like Vanity Fair, Wired, and GQ are rumored to be working on an app, while magazines like Interview, Time, Men's Health, and Popular Science already exist for purchase. But this is where Ed begins to have his doubts.


Too many customers seem to be dissuaded from buying a magazine app because of the steep price. Both Time and PopSci are charging $5 per issue, the same as their newsstand price. We all know how exorbitant pricing played out in the recession...

Though the graphics are supposed to be amazing, the iPad itself can't replace a magazine's lightweight feel in your bag. As the NYT notes, "You can’t read well in direct sunlight. At 1.5 pounds, the iPad gets heavy in your hand after awhile." Unless magazines publishers decide to give iPad users a yearly discount like they would with their print subscriptions, Ed doubts that the iPad will have a large impact on media.

What do you think, Edsters? Are you planning to buy an iPad? If so, would you pay newsstand prices to read magazines on the new device?